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PROFILE: Constitutional Court Chief Justice candidate Dunstan Mlambo

Dunstan Mlambo
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With over three decades of experience as a lawyer and judge in South Africa, Judge President Dunstan Mlambo may be a strong contender for the vacant position of Chief Justice.

He is one of the four candidates who will be interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission next month to take over the reins from former Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng.

The four candidates will be interviewed publicly from February 1-4.

Justice Mlambo is a veteran of the South African legal system.

Over the last 30 years, he has distinguished himself as a legal authority and as a former chairperson of Legal Aid South Africa, he has extensive experience in establishing and managing a legal aid system.

His name is among the four candidates who were shortlisted by a panel chaired by Judge Navanethem Pillay after public nominations which were invited by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

They are Judge of the Constitutional Court of Appeal Judge Mandisa Maya, President of the Supreme Court of Appeal and Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Mlambo spent considerable time in the Labour Court as Acting Judge and then as Judge President.

He was particularly critical of the practice of labour brokering, which deprives employees of labour law protection.

In November 2012, former President Jacob Zuma appointed Mlambo as Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court.

One of Mlambo’s most notable cases was in the 2014 Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

Despite the defense team’s objections, Mlambo ruled that the entire trial proceedings may be broadcast live via audio and that parts of the trial may be broadcast live via television.

The parts that he permitted to be broadcast audiovisually were the opening and closing arguments, the testimony of consenting state witnesses, the judgment, and the sentencing of Pistorius.

The ruling was welcomed by members of the South African media, who described it as a groundbreaking decision supporting freedom of expression, freedom of the media, open justice and democracy.

When he took office as Judge President more than a decade ago, Mlambo vowed to improve access to justice for all. Should he be appointed as Chief Justice, this may likely be his continued focus.

However, it’s not going to be a walk in the park for him as he has to face a grilling from the Judicial Services Commission and parties in the National Assembly.

Below is the video package:

 

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